Hydraulic rail bender



Feb. 9, 1932. TOMLIN 1,844,724

HYDRAULIC RAIL BENDER Filed Sept. 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mum w \nummmm Feb. 9, 1932. M. H. TO MLIN HYDRAULIC RAIL BENDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Sept. 12. 1.928

r I} i WW7 2 5 5 Hi! 6 Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES MICHAEL H. TOMLIN, OF LOFTY PENNSYLVANTA HYDRAULIC RAIL BENDER Application filed September 12, 1928. Serial No. 305,390.

10 being forced into'action by a suitable pump,

because it reduces the manual force required to be exerted on the rail to accomplish the desired bend.

In the accompanying drawings:

15 Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of the inventionapplied to a rail;

Fig. 2 is a top plan. view of the same Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the invention on the line 33 of Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon the line 44 of Fig. 2; r a i Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 55 of Fig.2; 1325 Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the main frame and rail clamp in position for a vertical curve; and Fig. 7 is a similar view for a horizontal curve in the rail.

The numeral 1 indicates the railroad rail that is intended to be clamped or held against the body 2 of the bender by means of an L-shaped rail clamp 3 which is securely bolted or otherwise fastened as at 4 to the body 2. Lugs 5 are formed on the rear end of the body 2 and adapted to embrace a portion of the rail to hold the same in place.

Located at the opposite end of the body 2, as shown in Figs. '3 and 1, is a reservoir 6 adapted to contain lubricating oil or hydraulic jack fluid which may be filled through an opening normallyclosed by the plug 7 This reservoir 6 communicates through the duct Sfwith a pump cylinder 9, said communication being regulated by a one-way ball valve 10, which allows the fluid to be'drawn from thereservoir 6'int0 the pump cylinder 9 but-prevents back-flow from the cylinder 9. A pump piston 11 is mounted in the pump cylinder 9 and extends through a packing gland12 in the outer end thereof, being pivotally connected by a toggle 13 with a pump lever 1a, which is pivoted as at 15 to a lug 16 carried by the outer end of the body 2.

A pump handle 17 may be connected with the pump lever 14 to facilitate theoperation thereof for actuating the pump piston 11. A duct 18 extends from the pump cylinder 9 to the extended orifice 19, which is closed atits outer end by means of a screw 20. This orifice is enlarged as at 2land communicates with a main cylinder 22.

A valve guide 23 is fixed in the portion 21, and interposed between the valve guide 23 and the end of the orifice 19 is a spring-pressed check valve 24, which normallyregulates communication between the duct 18 and the main cylinder 22 in one direction, allowing fluid or liquid to flow freely into the main cylinder. but preventing backward flow thereof in the oppositev direction.

enlarged Mounted in the main cylinder 22 is a piston 25 extending outwardly therefrom through the side of the body portion 2 and through a packing gland 26, which surrounds the outer end of the piston 25 extending from the main cylinder 22.. The piston 25 is in position to engage atleast a portion of the rail and to cooperate with the rail clamp 3 to cause a bending movement of the rail.

Extending from the inner end of the main cylinder 22 is a duct 27, which communicates with a valve chamber 28, in which is mounted a manually-controlled needle valve 29 adapted to regulate said communication, as shown in Fig. 4:. A duct 30 extends from a the valve chamber 28 to the main reservoir 6 to return the liquid or fluid from the main cylinder. a a I In theoperation ofthe rail bender, the plug? is first removed and the reservoir 6 filled withlubricating oil or hydraulic jack fluid. The needle valve 29 is closed. The rail bender may then be placed on the rail where the bend is desired, and by actuating the pump lever 14 up and down this operates the pump piston 11 first todraw the liquid'from the oil chamber 6 through the duct 8 into the pump cylinder 9, backward movement being prevented by the ball valve 10.

By forcing the pump handle down, this forces the fluid from the pump cylinder 9 through the duct 18, past the check valve 24: and into the main cylinder 22, where it acts on the piston 25 to force the latter out- Ward against the rail, and since the rail is clamped at one point by the rail clamp 3, the continual pumping of the fluid into the main cylinder 22 will continually force the piston outward and cause a bending of the rail at this point.

To release the rail after the desired bend has been caused, the needle valve 29 is opened to allow the fluid to return from the main cylinder 22 to the reservoir 6. The piston 25 may then be pushed back into the main cylinder and. the bender be removed from the rail.

This is an extremely simple and yet very effective manner of accomplishing the bending of the rail, it not requiring a complicated machine for this purpose.

A duct 31 extends from the main cylinder 22 to the oil reservoir 6, normally closed by the piston 25, but when the piston has moved out beyond this duct 31, it is opened, allowing the oil to return to the reservoir 6 and automatically preventing the forcing of the piston. outwardly further and beyond the desired limits.

I claim 1. A rail bender of the character described including a body portion, a reservoir for fluid, a main cylinder connected with the body portion, a piston mounted in said main cylinder, and adapted to engage a portion of the rail for causing a. bending thereof, means for forcing the fluidfrom the reservoir into the main cylinder to act on the piston, and a clamp connected with the body portion to hold the rails in proper positions relative thereto.

2. In a rail bender of the characterdescribed, the combination of a body portion having a reservoir therein, a main cylinder adapted to communicate with the reservoir, a pump for forcing the fluid from the reservoir to the main cylinder, a piston mounted in the main cylinder and adapted to act upon the rails to cause a bending action thereof, means for establishing return communication between the main cylinder and the reservoir, a valve in the first-mentioned communication'between the main cylinder and reservoir allowing a flow of fluid therethrough in one direction only, and a rail clamp connected "with the body portion for holding the rails in their proper positions.

3. A rail bender of the character described including a body portion, a clamp connected therewith for engaging and holding a rail, said body portion having a fluid reservoir therein, a pump cylinder in the body portion communicating with the reservoir, a pump piston in the pump cylinder, means for actuating said piston, a main cylinder in the body portion communicating with the pump cylinder, means for allowing a flow of fluid between the pump and main cylinders in one direction only, and a piston mounted in the main cylinder and adapted to be forced out-- wardly therefrom by the fluid for acting on the rails held by the clamp.

4. A rail bender of the character described including a body portion, a clamp connected therewith for engaging and holding a rail, said body portion having a fluid reservoir therein, a pump cylinder in the body portion communicating with the reservoir, a pump piston in the pump cylinder, means for actuating said piston, 21 main cylinder in the body portion communicating with the pump cylinder, means for allowing a flow of fluid between the pump and main cylinders in one direction only, and a piston mounted in the main cylinder and adapted to be forced outwardly therefrom by the fluid for acting on the rails held by the clamp, a separate communication between the main cylinder and the reservoir for the return of the fluid, and a needle valve for controlling said communication.

5. A rail bender comprising a body portion having a main cylinder connected therewith, apiston operatively mounted in said main cylinder, a fluid reservoir, means for forcing the fluid from the reservoir into the main cylinder to act on the piston, and means for establishing return communication between the main cylinder and the reservoir.

6. A rail bender comprising a body-portion having a main cylinder connected therewith, a piston operatively mounted in said main cylinder to cause a bending of the rail, a fluid reservoir in the body portion, means for forcing the fluid from the reservoir into the main cylinder to act on the piston, and means for establishing a separate return communication between the main cylinder and the reservoir for the fluid.

7 A rail bender comprising a body portion, means connected therewith for holding a rail to be bent, a cylinder formed in the body portion, a piston operatively mounted in the cylinder in position to engage the rail in supported position and to co-operate with the rail-holding means to cause a bending of the rail, a fluid reservoir connected with the body portion, and a pump for forcing fluid from said reservoir into the cylinder to force the piston outwardly to bend the rail.

8. A rail bender comprising a body portion, means connected therewith for holding a rail to be 'bent, a cylinder formed in the body portion, a piston operatively mounted in the cylinder in position to engage the rail in supported position and to co-operate with the rail-holding means to cause a bending of the rail, a fluid reservoir formed in the body portion and having means of communication with the cylinder, and a pump to force fluid from the reservoir and into the cylinder to force the piston outwardly to bend the rail.

9. A rail bender comprising a one-piece body portion, a clamp connected therewith for holding a rail to be bent, a cylinder formed in the body portion, a piston operatively mounted in the cylinder in position to engage the rail in supported position and to cooperate with the rail-holding means to cause a bending of the rail, a fluid reservoir formed in the body portion and having means of communication with the cylinder, and a pump arranged within the body portion between the reservoir and the cylinder for forcing fluid from the reservoir into the cylinder to force the piston outwardly to bend the rail.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL H. TOMLIN. 

